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    • 1850's >
      • Wells Cathedral, Choir stalls
      • St Margarets, Angmering
      • Wells Cathedral, Pulpit
      • Wells Cathedral, Monument to Dean Jenkyns
      • St Margaret's Church, Angmering, Pulpit
      • Wells Cathedral, Organ
      • St Mary, Etchingham, pulpit
      • St Thomas's Church, Wells
      • Sherborne Abbey, Reredos
      • Sherborne Abbey, Stalls
      • Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill
      • The Flora Fountain, Witley Court
    • 1860's >
      • St Dionysius church, Market Harborough
      • The Perseus and Andromeda Fountain, Witley Court
      • 29 Fleet Street, London
      • St Mary's, Singleton
      • Font at St Michael and All Angels Church
      • Pulpit of St Michael and All Angels, Witley Court
      • St Mary's, Deerhurst
      • Holy Trinity Church, Ventnor
      • St Leonard's Church, Bridgnorth
      • St Marys, Buckland St Mary, Somerset
      • Weston Park, Staffordshire
      • St John's Chapel, Hurstpierpoint College
      • Kensal Green Cemetery, Monument to General Forster
      • St John the Baptist, Frome, Via Crucis
      • St Johns, Frome, Reredos
      • St Johns, Frome, Saints
      • Holyrood church, Southampton
      • Market place, Dudley
      • Stalls and Bishop's throne, Chichester Cathedral
      • Cloverley Hall, Shropshire
      • St Johns, Leeds
      • St Andrew's Church, Kelso
    • 1870's >
      • The Fearon Fountain, Loughborough
      • St Andrews, Hingham
      • Nave pulpit at Worcester Cathedral
      • St Marys, Axminster
      • St John's, Frome, Pieta
      • St John's, Frome, Medallions
      • St Paul's cathedral, Memorial
      • Monument to Lord Lyttelton, Worcester Cathedral
      • Tyntesfield, Private Chapel
    • 1880's >
      • St Mary's, Buckland, Cross
      • St Peter's Church, Coggeshall
      • St Paul's cathedral, Afghan campaign
      • Sherborne Abbey, Digby monument
      • St James, Sussex Gardens, London
      • Monument to Bishop Fraser, Manchester Cathedral
      • St Mary's Church, Warwick
      • Monument to Earl of Dudley, Worcester cathedral
      • St Mary's, Buckland, Reredos
    • 1890's >
      • Monument to Dean Elliot, Bristol Cathedral
      • Monument to Bishop Pelham, Norwich Cathedral
      • Monument to Bishop Atlay, Hereford
      • Sherborne Abbey, pulpit
  • William
    • 1850's >
      • St John the Baptist, Eastnor, Worcs
      • St Peter's, Bushley
      • St Mary's, Hanley Castle
    • 1860's >
      • Eastnor Castle Great Hall
      • St John the Baptist, Eastnor
      • St Peter & St Paul, Rock
      • St John the Evangelist, Storridge
      • Imperial Hotel, Malvern
      • Elmslie House, Malvern
      • Lloyds Bank, Worcester
      • Great Malvern Station
      • Holy Trinity, Stratford
      • Cross for Catholic area of Worcester Cemetery
      • Cirencester Corn Hall
      • Christ Church, Llanwarne
      • Fald stool, St Leonard's Newland
      • George Cornewall Lewis Monument
      • St Leonard's, Newland, Cross
      • St Swithin's, Worcester
      • Davenham Bank, Great Malvern
      • Wesleyan Chapel, Malvern
      • St John's Church, Feckenham
      • Wykeham House, Oxford
      • St Edburga's, Leigh, Worcs
      • Worcester Cemetery, Charles Hastings
      • Gloucs bank, Hereford
      • St Mary's, Dilwyn
      • St George's, Barbourne, Worcester
      • St Leonard's, Agnes Raymond
      • St Mary's church, Twyning
      • St Phillips, Hallow
      • St Nicholas, Droitwich, Font
    • 1870's >
      • St Mary's Church, Elmbridge
      • St John's Churchyard, Claines
      • St Nicholas, Droitwich, Pulpit
      • St James, West Malvern
      • Oliver Mason monument, The Priory Church
      • Holy Trinity Church,Malvern
      • Christ Church, Catshill
      • St John's Church, Charlton
      • Malvern Cemetery buildings
      • Upton cemetery, Major Martin
      • Sir Henry Lambert, Malvern cemetery
      • Priory Court, Malvern
      • Holy Trinity, Malvern, pillars
      • Monument for Wheeley Lea Family, Powick
      • The Hoppickers, Worcester
      • St John's, Claines, William Mence
      • Brinton Fountain, Kidderminster
      • WB Williamson tomb, Astwood cemetery
    • 1880's >
      • St George's RC, Worcester, Altars
      • St Leonards, Newland,Columns
      • Marion Yorke grave, Worcester Cathedral cloisters
      • Compton Building, Worcester
      • Harriet Wood, Worcester Cathedral cloisters
      • Oakhampton House, Bust of Henry Crane
      • St Leonard's, Newland, Piscina
      • St Leonard's, Newland, Sedilia
      • St Mary's churchyard, Shrawley
      • Revd Barry grave, Worcester Cathedral Cloisters
      • 29th Regiment Memorial, Worcester Cathedral
      • Memorial to William Bourne
      • Dean Yorke Memorial, Worcester Cathedral
      • Oakhampton House, Chimney-piece
      • St Clements church, Worcester, Font
      • St Barnabas, Worcester
      • Wells school, Malvern
      • St Bartholomew's, Grimley
      • St John's, Claines, Beachamp tomb
      • Allsopp Tomb, Hindlip Hall
      • St Michael's, Stourport
      • Walter Holland Tomb, Astwood cemetery
      • Congregational Sunday School, Worcester
      • Perrins Family Tomb, Worcester
      • St John's Church, Claines, Cross for LJ Curtler
      • Reredos, St Marys, Welford
      • Co-Operative Society, Worcester
      • St Leonard's, Newland, Pulpit
      • Flora statue, Chateau Impney, Droitwich
    • 1890's >
      • Worcester cemetery, Lewitt memorial
      • St Clements church, Worcester, Reredos
      • St Clements Church, Worcester, screen
      • E.W.Elmslie Memorial
      • St Ann's Well, Malvern
      • Worcester Grammar School Extension
      • Tomb of Thomas Rowley-Hill, Astwood cemetery
      • Canon Douglas, Salwarpe
      • Pitchcroft Gates, Worcester
      • St Matthias, Malvern
    • 1900's >
      • Temperance Drinking Fountain, Malvern
      • John Corbett tomb, Stoke Prior churchyard
      • Cross for G.Shaw, St Matthias, Malvern Link
      • Cross, Malvern Wells
      • Hook Severn, Worcs, Bromley Memorial
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theforsythbrothers

Wells Cathedral, Choir stalls and Chorister desks     c 1851-53

The renovation work at Wells cathedral started in March 1848 under the supervision of Architect Anthony Salvin. Later newspaper reports credit James Forsyth and another young sculptor, John Birnie Phillip, with the majority of the wood and stone carving involved at Wells. I cannot prove when James arrived in Wells or how he was known to Salvin to be given such a responsibility at the age of 21 but we know from the 1851 census that James was living in Wells

04.03.1852   
The Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette reports upon Wells cathedral “We are happy to inform our readers that the restoration of the choir of this beautiful fabric is rapidly approaching completion. The stone stalls (41 in number) are nearly finished……the old misereres are worked in so that visitors will continue to be amused by these quaint carvings. The new bench ends are being executed in the spirit of the old work. The carved angels for the front of the chorister’s desks exhibit much taste “


10.11.1855  
The Illustrated London News has an article on the now completed works at Wells Cathedral “The new stall work is of elaborate character. In each arch are five canopies of an early type, supported with detached shafts of Purbeck marble, polished; the canopy is of the simple gable form, containing a sub-ogee arch, which projects from the springing to the finial. These are richly carved with crockets, cusp ornaments and spandrils. Between each gable is a crocketed pinnacle, and the whole is borne on pretty little capitals, in which is some very successful carving, rendered from natural leaves. The carving was executed in part by Mr. J. B. Philip and partly by Mr. J. Forsyth. The last-named carver also produced the coped monument to the late Dean, and with Mr. Philip, has well proved his ability in carrying out such work “


All the photos below were taken by, and used with the permission of, John Harris

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